DID YOU HAVE ANY RIDING EXPERIENCE BEFORE YOU BEGAN FILMING?

No, but when I was young I was always fascinated by horses and horse movies. When this movie came along, I was excited because it also gave me the chance to learn how to ride. I also really liked the character, Katy. She's a young ranch girl who meets this wild, untamed mustang and ends up seeing a lot of herself in the horse.

WHAT KIND OF HORSE TRAINING DID YOU GET BEFORE THE FILM?

I did a month of training for about five hours a day. The trainer just threw me on the horse, even though I didn't know a thing about riding. All the trotting was very hard on my spine and I ended up pinching a nerve and I had to take two weeks off. When I came back, I got thrown from the horse. It was very challenging and not the experience I thought it would be. I got saddle sores even though I was wearing the proper clothing—high boots and chaps. I actually got really into the clothing.

WERE YOU AFRAID AFTER THAT?

I was afraid, but I knew I only had a certain amount of time to learn how to ride, and that included riding bareback. My character, Katy, was supposed to be one of the best riders in the country.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HORSES?

That in reality, they are huge, massive creatures. When you think of horses you think of words like graceful, swift, beautiful, and majestic. But when you get up close, they are so massive and intimidating. I felt really small next to them because I'm only 5'2".

ARE YOU STILL RIDING?

No, that six months was enough!

Make sure to pick up the November 2006 issue of CosmoGIRL! for more of our interview with Alison!